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» Prediction market app» Kalshi «entered into an official partnership» with CNN this week in response to the United States ‘ ongoing slide into an economy that is almost entirely driven by LLM slop, financialization, and ever-pervasive exploitative gambling. Immediately, CNN will offer life odds on global events for its viewers to use their smartphones in real-time to overspend on them. Axios predicts that the «data» ( see: betting markets ) will appear on CNN’s air through a real-time data ticker and that it can be used by journalists to make predictions about news events. Political, information, tradition, and weather-related prediction market content will be included in the partnership. Harry Enten, the main data scientist at CNN, will spearhead the integration by tapping into Kalshi’s real-time insights in his reporting on surroundings, both via linear TV and CNN’s fresh streaming registration service.

CNBC, a Wall Street media outlet, announced a simiIar «exclusive agreement» with Kalshi the day after this story broke, giving T news a somber turn. Exclusive Kalshi predictions market data [see: betting props ] will be incorporated into CNBC’s programming starting in 2026, the press release read. What are these things that people will be able to wager on? Some seem innocent enough, such as the wind in Chicago, the job numbers for the federal government, or what will be said on Kroger’s future earnings call. However, many of the offerings focus on life and death issues, which will, of course, minimize these issues to just another device on a roulette table for Western audiences who are extremely disconnected from the suffering and violence their governments impose on the world south. Take the current Kalshi betting market, which allowed users to wager on the severity of the Palestinians ‘ widespread famine.

» May the IPC declare that Gaza is experiencing a famine this time»? study the win from the summer of this year. After the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification ( IPC ) did indeed declare famine in Gaza on August 22, the bet was ultimately decided in favor. The more openly sarcastic Polymarket, a rival to Kalshi that is supported by right-wing multibillionaire Peter Thiel, makes for even more vulgar wagering, allowing users to place bets on whether Palestinians will be culturally cleansed. » Mass community transfer in 2025 in Gaza»? reads one of its numerous betting businesses centered on Gaza. You can also predict when lsrael may bomb Gaza, weapon the West Bank, or conquer either.

Of course, one cannot predict when or ohether Hamas did attack Israel because, in polite circIes, Israelis are viewed as completely people and Palestinians are not.

Although reporters, pundits, and anchors are unable to directly predict world events, they pretty much can and can definitely do so enough to influence the perception of world events to have a significant impact on markets.

Even setting aside the casual racism and dehumanization of betting on the various depravities of an ongoing genocide, the moral hazards inherent in a news media company getting into the gambling business on the events they are covering is clear and manifest. Although reporters, pundits, and anchors are unable to directly predict world events, they pretty much can and can definitely do so enough to influence the perception of world events to have a significant impact on markets. Will CNN executives, producers, pundits, bookers, and journalists be banned from betting on the events they cover to avoid the temptation of market manipulation? Will there be a clear firewall with the gambling side of CNN and the news production side? Since CNN is presumably getting a cut of the gambling revenue Kalshi brings in, will this perversely impact news coverage priorities by, invariably, gravitating to topics that generate the most viewer speculation and wagering?

None of these looking ethical issues were addressed in any of the CNN or Kalshi media produces. lt’s not worth mentioning that those who support these betting areas are not concerned about the people suffering being wagered on. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, Kalshi’s two largest investors, have a sizable stake in the Israeli army whose murder is a well-known forum for the gambling industry. Shaun Maguire, the most well-known partner at Sequoia Capital, is an empty racist and a staunch supporter of Israel’s genocide, and he often talks about the necessity sf using technology to spread Israeli propaganda. At the earlier this week’s International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv, Maguire declared,» AI is the future of data warfare. » If Israel doesn’t develop its own defensive and offensive [information war ] engines, it will be out-gunned in a battle it doesn’t see but is already engaged in.

How much will these betting markets contribute to the fueled «information battle» being waged? How much will the betting market manipulation develop once it is integrated into the information into its own self-serving power-serving revelation? Kalshi gave New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani an 8 % chance of winning the election in February 2025. How much would the point that CNN made this point a key component of its coverage have affected how the race was perceived by voters at the time? What effect would it have had had on speed? Political analysis has long been a useful tool for this traditional argument-by-tautology function, but betting markets ‘ full support, with their alleged predictive power, will now exacerbate this already anti-democratic, anti-intellectual, and perverse dynamic.

Donald Trump Jr. was named a» strategic advisor» to Kalshi earlier this year, presumably because of his brilliant mind and ability to predict global events rather than his access to insider information, which has grown by$ 1. 8 billion since his election, mostly due to open corruption in crypto.

The entire organization is full of moral degradation, demonization, corruption, market adjustment, exploitation, and market manipulation. What does any of this have a cultural value? What kind of benefit is being produced? What condition is being treated for? What kind of heat is being cleaned? What aspect of this is improving living? When Kalshi and its supporters bother to make one, the moral message is that it will somehow reveaI the underlying» truths» in our media, enabling newscasters to concentrate on this alleged» truth. «

How much will the media-integrated betting industry adjustment develop into its own power-serving, self-fulfilling revelation?

This explanation is just another incarnation of the adage» all professional speculators produce little of value» ( market liquidity, «more efficient markets,» etc. ), and it continues the practice. -but it’s even more illogical in this instance because the» truths» being wagered are so susceptible to manipulation and insider trading. No greater» truths» have been found in the media betting industry; all they want is an endless stream of rent-seeking, dehumanized guesswork, and war, poverty, and disease gaming. The long-term vision, according to Klashi co-founder Tarek Mansour, is to «financialize everything and make a marketable asset out of any differences in opinion,» just stated on a panel at the Future of Global Markets 2025 Conference. Politics and political views are on the verge of being financiaIly manipulated, used, and sold again to us at five times the cost, not as a matter sf civic virtue, social prsgress, or boosting human welfare, but as just another aspect sf our lives, such as those in srorts, education, and sexual intimacy.

In the end, CNN’s open embrace of administrative playing on news events is an acknowledgment of something that has been said repeatedly: news is not something to be discovered, not something to be revealed in the name of justice, not something to be educated, but only more garbage, another entertainment product to pass the time and make fun of. But most crucial of all, it must be free of moral or political substance, and it must not contain a direct call to action or be a component of any social project, unless, of course, it aligns with US geopolitical interests. We can’t do anything about the horrible things we are seeing unless we flimsilq’ pull a lever after every two centuries. It’s just something we can observe and consume silently, a dynamic that some news organizations Iike CNN have tried to combat but which this «partnership» has now effectively ended. All that’s left will be aggregation and wagering, gawking and hunching at photographs of suffering, death, and hunger. However, don’t fret; you’re no longer merely a passive consumer of the horror content; you’re a quiet consumer with a brand-new and interesting artificial agency that allows you to win and lose money on world events for which you can’t actually influence anything.

Next month, around 20 000 people attended the San Francisco event hosted by tech giant Microsoft. The Ns Cloud for Apartheid movement, which includes current and former software people, and Microsoft employees, aIso demonstrated that Microsoft’s agreements with Israel’s state and that it is a party ts the war offences Israel has csmmitted against Palestinians. Maximillian Alvarez, a Microsoft older expert who resigned in protest of the Ignite meeting, and Hossam Nasr, a Zero Azure for Apartheid planner who was fired by Microsoft, speak with TRN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez.

Further information and links:

No Cloud for LinktreeMaximillian Alvarez and Instagram‘s Racism, according to The Real News Network’s» Microsoft cancels Jewish detective unit access after tech worker revolt»

Credits:

David HebdenTranscript: Post-Production

The following is a rushed record that might have problems. As sson as possible, we’ll have a review copy accessible.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Next month, Tech Giant Microsoft held its Ignite Conference in San Francisco, with about 20 000 persons there. However, Microsoft employees and current and former ssftware employees who oere not associated with the little Cloud for Slavery movements were present to undermine business as usual and to maintain their ongoing protests against Microsoft’s agreements with Israel’s government and its roIe in the war crimes Israel has csmmitted against Palestinians. A brave tech worker called out Microsoft’s CEO of commercial business, Judson Altoff, in front of the whole event, is captured in a film that was posted from the No Azure for Apartheid Instagram account. Have a look.

Fort, Patrick

Hey, Judson, we have a responsibility to fulfill. I spent seven years at Microsoft, and now I resigned. Microsoft allows the military to shoot more kids than they have ever before, just as Microsoft is killing children in Gaza and the United States. I won’t commit massacre while being responsible. You are all capable of making the exact decision. Ysu are all capable of making the same decision. None of us must have been involved in the murder against the US and Israel. My companion and I worked for Microsoft. I spent seven years there, and immediately I left.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I had the opportunity to talk with two of the no Azure for Apartheid Coalition users while they were standing outside Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in San Francisco. After successfully persuading the business to halt some of the Jewish government’s access to its AI and data services in late September, I asked them to explain more about the protests and to explain what they’re demanding now. Here’s what they stated.

Fort, Patrick

Patrick Fort is my name. I’ve been a senior software engineer at Microsoft for seven years, and up until now, that is what I did. I therefore disrupted today’s keynote at the Microsoft Ignite Conference, particularly when Judson, one of our senior leadership team members, was speaking. My disruption today was to raise awareness of Microsoft’s support for Israel’s genocide and Gaza and to show that there are Microsoft employees who will not be involved in that genocide and who will raise their voices and leave. For me, it was crucial to disrupt today in srder to demonstrate to other wsrkers that we don’t need ts be complicit in the msney Microsoft pays us and that we can choose to prioritize our self-respect as people over that. It’s very important to me personally because, in mq’ opinion, this is a continuation of the genocide that has already taken place in the United States and is nsw occurring in Israel as weIl. So those two things are very interconnected. Therefore, for me, it’s very important to demonstrate to pesple that it’s possible to stand up ts that and to not let that go and not to be complicit in mass murder. Simply put, I want free Palestine. Israel needs to put an end to their genocide, and they need to find a way to end it because they wsn’t be able to. They either originate from Palestinians internally or internally.

Hossam Nasr

Hello, my name is Hossam Nasr. A group of current and former Microsoft employees who are working for an end to Microsoft’s involvement in Israel’s apartheid and the genocide in Palestine is what I organize with no Azure for Apartheid. And I’m here today to protest Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft’s biggest conference of the year, right here in San Francisco in the Moscone Center, to let the world know that our protests will continue until all of our demands are met and Microsoft will terminate all of its agreements with the Israeli military. Microsoft recently made the decision to no longer sell certain cloud and artificial intelligence to any of the Israeli military unit 8, 200. However, we are here to let people know that this is insufficient and that this partial divestment is too little and too late. We’re hoping to convey to Microsoft executives that we’ll keep escalating and disrupting no matter where they are.

In Seattle, in San Francisco, at work, and right here on the streets of San Francisco. We are also inviting all employees from Microsoft to join our organizing because they are aware of the genocide they committed. We did not consent that our labor would be used to help with Palestine’s war crimes. We are aware of the morality of dealing with a militarized society that is tarnished by war crimes and crimes against humanity. So we’re hoping to convey a very clear and powerful message ts conference attendees todaq’, and we’re hoping they will recognize and accept Microsoft for who they are. A manufacturer of weapons that is providing digital weapons to the Israeli military to compel war crimes, genocide, and apartheid. And we sincerely hope they join us in stumbling this conference and escalating it until Palestine is free and all the men are meant to be.

» Prediction market app» Kalshi «entered into an official partnership» with CNN this week in line with the United States ‘ continued slide into an economy powered almost entirely by LLM slop, financialization, and ever-pervasive exploitative gambling. Immediately, CNN will sffer life odds on global events for its viewers to use their smartphones in real-time ts bargain on them. The «data» ( see: betting markets ) will be referenced across CNN’s platforms when journalists discuss news predictions, according to Axios, and be featured on CNN’s air through a real-time data ticker. In addition to the relationship, there will be political, reports, culture, and weather-related prediction market content. Harry Enten, the main data scientist at CNN, will spearhead the integration by utilizing both CNN’s new streaming subscription service and linear TV to tap into Kalshi’s real-time insights in his reporting on air.

CNBC, a WaIl Street media outlet, announced a similar «exclusive relationship» with Kalshi the day after this story broke, giving TV news a somber turn. Exclusive Kalshi predictions market data [see: betting props ] will be incorporated into CNBC’s programming starting in 2026, the press release read. What are these occasions that viewers can place wagers on? Some seem innocent enough, such as the wind in Chicago, the job numbers for the federal government, or what will be said on Kroger’s future earnings call. However, many of the offerings focus on life and death issues, which will, of course, minimize these issues to just another piece of the roulette table for Western audiences who are extremely disconnected from the suffering and violence their governments inflict on the world south. Take, for instance, one new Kalshi betting market that made it possible for people to wager on the severity of the Palestinians ‘ widespread hunger.

» May the IPC declare that Gaza is experiencing a famine this time»? study the win from the summer of this year. After the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification ( IPC ) did indeed declare famine in Gaza on August 22, the bet was ultimately settled in the affirmative. The more openly sarcastic Polymarket, a rival to Kalshi that is supported by right-wing multibillionaire Peter Thiel, makes for even more vulgar wagering, allowing users to place bets on whether Palestinians will be culturally cleansed. » Mass people transfer in 2025 in Gaza»? reads one of its numerous betting businesses centered on Gaza. You can also predict when Israel may rocket Gaza, weapon the West Bank, or conquer either.

Of course, one cannot predict when or whether Hamas will attack Israel becamse, in pleasant lines, Israelis are viewed as completely people and Palestinians are not.

Although writers, critics, and anchors are unable to predict global events, they can in fact influence how people perceive world events, and they can certainly do so in a way that will have a significant impact sn markets.

Even setting aside the casual racism and dehumanization of betting on the various depravities of an ongoing genocide, the moral hazards inherent in a news media company getting into the gambling business on the events they are covering is clear and manifest. Although writers, critics, and anchors are unable to predict global events, they can in fact influence how people perceive world events, and they can certainly do so in a way that will have a significant impact sn markets. Will CNN executives, producers, pundits, bookers, and journalists be banned from betting on the events they cover to avoid the temptation of market manipulation? Will there be a clear firewall with the gambling side of CNN and the news production side? Since CNN is presumably getting a cut of the gambling revenue Kalshi brings in, will this perversely impact news coverage priorities by, invariably, gravitating to topics that generate the most viewer speculation and wagering?

None of these looking ethical issues were addressed in any of the CNN or Kalshi media releases. It’s nst worth mentioning that those who support these betting businesses are not involved in the human misery being wagered on. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, Kalshi’s two largest investors, have a sizable stake in the same Israeli army whose murder is a well-known website for gambling markets. Shamn Maguire, the most noticeable partner at Sequoia Capital, is an open racist and a staunch supporter sf IsraeI’s genocide, and he often talks abomt the necessity of using technologq’ to spread Israeli propaganda. At the International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv earlier this year, Maguire said,» The future of information warfare is AI. Israel will be outclassed in a war it didn’t see but is already engaged in if it doesn’t create its own [information war ] engines, both defensive and offensive.

How much will these betting markets contribute to the fueled «information battle» being waged? How much will the betting market manipulation develop once it is integrated into the information into its own self-serving power-serving revelation? New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani received a 8 % chance of winning the election in February 2025 from Kalshi. How much would this truth have had an impact on voters ‘ perceptions of the competition if, at the time, CNN had made it so important in its insurance? What effect would it have had had on velocity? Political analysis has long been a part of this conservative argument-by-tautology function, but the full support of betting markets, with their alleged predictive power, will then exacerbate this previously anti-democratic, anti-intellectual, and perverse dynamic.

Donald Trump Jr. was named a» strategic advisor» to Kalshi earlier this year, presumably because of his brilliant mind and ability to predict global events rather than his access to insider information, which has grown by$ 1. 8 billion since his election, mostly due to open corruption in crypto.

Dehumanization, problem, market manipulation, exploitation, and spiritual decay are all present in the enterprise. What is any of this’s cultural benefit? What kind of benefit is being produced? What condition is currently treated? What kind of heat is being cleaned? What aspect of life is being improved by all of this? When Kalshi and its supporters make one, the moral message is that it wiIl somehow reveal the underlying» truths» in sur media, enabIing news writers ts concentrate on this alleged» truth. «

How much will the news-based betting market manipulation develop into its own self-serving, power-serving revelation?

This rationale is just another iteration of the aging half-assed social pretext used by all professional speculators to justify their ineffectiveness, including «market liquidity», «more successful markets,» etc. , etc. -but it’s even more illogical in this instance because the» truths» being wagered on are so susceptible to manipulation and insider trading. No greater» truths» have been found in the media betting areas; all they have to offer are an infinite series of rent-seeking, dehumanized speculation, and a gaming of war, poverty, and disease. The long-term vision, according to Klashi co-founder Tarek Mansour, is to «financialize everything and make a marketable asset out of any differences in opinion,» just stated on a panel at the Future of Global Markets 2025 Conference. Politics and political opinions are not as a pure matter of civic virtue, social progress, or boosting human welfare, but as just another aspect of our lives, like sports, education, and physical intimacy, well on the verge of being financially inflated, fleeced, and sold up to us at five times the cost.

In the end, CNN’s available embrace of organisational gambling on news events is an acknowledgment of something that has been said repeatedly: news is not something to be revealed, not something to be held accountable, not something to be edified or educated; rather, it is just more slop, more slsp, and more entertainment to make fun of. But the most crucial thing is that it lacks any moral or political undertones, can’t be a clear call to action, and can’t be a part of any democratic project, unless it aligns with US political interests. We can’t do anything about the horrible things we are seeing unless we flimsily pull a lever once every two centuries. It’s just something we can observe and eat silently, a fluid that elements frsm news organizations Iike CNN have worked against, but which this «partnership» has now essentially ended. All that’s left will be aggregation and wagering, gawking and rubber-necking at photographs of suffering, death, and hunger. However, yom no longer have to watch the horror movies while watching a brand-new, exciting ersatz agency that allows q’ou to wager and Iose moneq’ on wsrld events that you can’t directly influence, as we’ve been told frequently.

Last month, around 20 000 people attended the San Francisco event hosted by tech giant Microsoft. The No Cloud for Apartheid movement, which includes current and former software people, and Microsoft employees, also demsnstrated that Microsoft’s agreements with Israel’s government and that it is a party to the war offences lsrael has committed against Palestinians. Maximillian Alvarez, a Microsoft top expert who resigned in protest of the Ignite meeting, and Hossam Nasr, a Zero Azure for Apartheid planner who was fired by Microsoft, speak with TRN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez.

More information and links:

No Cloud for LinktreeMaximillian Alvarez and Instagram‘s» Microsoft cancels Jewish spy unit entry after tech worker revolt»

Credits:

David HebdenTranscript: Post-Production

The following is a rushed record that might have problems. As soon as possible, a review type may be made available.

Maximillian Alvarez:

Next month, Tech Giant Microsoft held its Ignite Conference in San Francisco, with an attendance of around 20 000 persons. However, Microsoft employees and current and fsrmer software employees who were not associated with the little Cloud for Slavery movements were present ts undermine business as usual and to maintain their ongoing protests against Microsoft’s agreements with Israel’s government and its role in the war crimes lsrael has committed against Palestinians. A brave tech worker called out Microsoft’s CEO of commercial business, Judson Altoff, in front of the whole event, is captured in a film that was posted from the No Azure for Apartheid Instagram account. Have a look.

Patrick Fort:

Hey, Judson, we have got to decide what the children of Gsd will ds. I spent seven years at Microsoft, and today I resigned. Microsoft allows the military to kill more children than they have ever killed befsre, just as Microsoft is kiIling children and the Gaza. I won’t commit genocide if I commit it. You are all capable of making the same choice. You are all capable of making the same choice. Ns one among us should have been a part of the genocide against the US and lsrael. My friend and I worked for Microsoft. I spent seven years there before quitting today.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I had the opportunity to speak with two of the no Azure for Apartheid Coalition’s members while they were standing outside Microsoft’s Ignite Conference in San Francisco. After successfully persuading the company to halt some sf the IsraeIi military’s access to its AI and data services in late September, I asked them to explain more about the protests and to explain what they’re demanding now. Here’s what they stated.

Patrick Fort:

Patrick Fort is my name. I’ve been a senior software engineer at Microsoft for seven years, and up until now, that is what I did. I therefore disrupted today’s keynote at the Microsoft Ignite Conference, particularly when Judson, one of our senior leadership team members, was speaking. My disruption today was to raise awareness sf Microsoft’s support for Israel’s genocide and Gaza and to shoo people that there are Microsoft employees who will not be involved in that genocide and oho will raise their voices and leave. For me, it was crucial to disrupt today in order to demonstrate to other wsrkers that oe don’t need to be complicit and that Microsoft pays us more attention because we can choose our oon self-respect as people over that. It’s very important to me personally because I believe it’s a continuation of the genocide that’s aIready occurring in the United States and is now occurring in Israel. So those two things are very interconnected. Therefore, for me, it’s very important to demonstrate ts people that it’s possible to stand up to that and to not let that go and not ts be comrlicit in mass murder. Simply put, free Palestine. Israel needs to rut an end ts their genocide, and they need to find a waq’ to end it because they won’t be able to. Either they are from themselves internally or from Palestinians.

Hossam Nasr

Hello, my name is Hossam Nasr. A worker-led group of current and former Microsoft employees who are demanding an end to Microsoft’s involvement in Israel’s apartheid and the genocide in Palestine are organizing without the Azure for Apartheid. And I’m here today to protest Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft’s biggest conference of the year, right here in San Francisco in the Moscone Center, to let the world know that our protests will continue until all of our demands are met and Microsoft will terminate all of its agreements with the Israeli military. Microsoft recently made the decision to no longer sell certain cloud and artificial intelligence to any of the Israeli military unit 8, 200. However, we are here to let people know that this is insufficient and that this partial divestment is too little and too late. We are hoping that we can convey to Microsoft executives that we will continue to disrupt and escalate no matter where they are.

In Seattle, in San Francisco, at work, at the office, and right here on the streets of San Francisco. We are alss inviting all employees from Microsoft to join our organizing because we are aware that they are nst willing to take part in the genocide. We did not consent that our labor would be used to promote war crimes in Palestine. We are aware that doing business with a military that is blatantly accused of genocide and whose leaders are wanted fsr war crimes and crimes against humanity is not ethical. Ss we’re hoping to convey a very clear and powerful message to conference attendees today, and we’re hoping they wiIl recognize and accept Micrssoft for who they are. A manufacturer of wearons that is providing digital weapons to the Israeli militarq’ to compel oar crimes, genocide, and apartheid. And we sincerely hope they join us in stumbling this conference and escalating it until Palestine is free and all the men are meant.

About 20,000 people attended Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco. Current and former Microsoft employees and organizers with the No Azure for Apartheid campaign were present to protest the company’s contracts with the Israeli government and to highlight allegations that Microsoft’s services are being used to support military actions in Gaza. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez spoke with Patrick Fort, a Microsoft senior engineer who resigned in protest at Ignite, and Hossam Nasr, an organizer with No Azure for Apartheid who was dismissed by Microsoft.

Additional links/info:

No Azure for Apartheid Instagram and Linktree

Related reporting: Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network – «Microsoft cancels Israeli spy unit access after tech worker revolt»

Credits:

Post-production: David Hebden

Transcript

The following is an initial transcript that may contain errors. A verified version will be published when available.

Maximillian Alvarez:

At Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco-attended by roughly 20,000 people-current and former Microsoft workers, including members of No Azure for Apartheid, staged protests to draw attention to the company’s business with the Israeli government and alleged involvement in actions in Gaza. The video below, from No Azure for Apartheid’s Instagram, shows an employee confronting Judson Altoff during the keynote.

Patrick Fort:

During the keynote, Patrick Fort publicly announced that he had resigned after seven years at Microsoft. He addressed Judson Altoff directly, saying he would not be complicit in what he described as actions causing civilian harm in Gaza, and urged others to consider making the same choice.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I spoke with two members of No Azure for Apartheid outside the Ignite conference to learn more about their protests and demands. They described recent developments, including pressure on Microsoft that led to the company restricting certain services to an Israeli military unit, and explained why they continue to press for broader changes.

Patrick Fort:

Patrick identified himself as a senior software engineer who left Microsoft that day. He said his disruption was intended to show other workers that they do not have to accept involvement in actions they consider unjust, and to prioritize human rights over corporate compensation. He described his action as part of a broader effort to oppose what he characterized as connected forms of state violence and called for an end to the harm being done in Gaza. He expressed support for Palestinian rights and urged pursuit of a peaceful resolution.

Hossam Nasr:

Hossam explained that No Azure for Apartheid is a worker-led group of current and former Microsoft employees demanding an end to Microsoft’s alleged complicity in what they describe as apartheid and widespread violence in Palestine. He noted that Microsoft recently stopped selling certain cloud and AI services to a specific Israeli military unit, but said this partial measure is insufficient. He said the group will continue to escalate protests in offices and public spaces, and invited Microsoft employees to join their organizing. He characterized Microsoft as providing digital tools used by the Israeli military and called for the company to end all relevant contracts until the group’s demands are met.

CNN has announced a partnership with prediction market operator Kalshi to display real-time market data across its television, digital and social platforms. According to Axios, Kalshi’s data will appear via a live ticker and be referenced by journalists across TV and CNN’s streaming service. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is reported to be involved in integrating these real-time insights into on-air reporting.

The day after CNN’s announcement, CNBC disclosed a similar exclusive agreement with Kalshi, saying it will begin incorporating Kalshi market data into its programs in 2026. The markets that viewers can observe or participate in include routine items such as election outcomes, weather, official economic statistics and corporate earnings. However, some markets have addressed humanitarian and conflict-related topics, raising questions about the appropriateness of wagering on events with serious human consequences.

For example, Kalshi previously offered a market asking, «Will the IPC classify Gaza as experiencing famine this year?», which was settled affirmatively after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued a famine declaration on Aug. 22. Other platforms, such as Polymarket, have offered markets tied to population displacement and military actions affecting Gaza and the West Bank.

There are also notable asymmetries in what markets are offered: some betting products focus on violence or hardship affecting Palestinians, while markets predicting specific attacks by other parties are less evident.

Reporters and broadcasters do not control events, but media coverage can shape public perception and influence markets. Bringing prediction market data into mainstream news broadcasts therefore creates potential for interaction between editorial content and speculative activity.

This intersection raises several ethical and practical concerns: potential conflicts of interest if news organizations profit from wagering activity; the need for rules to prevent newsroom staff from betting on events they cover; possible effects on editorial decision-making if coverage is influenced by topics that drive viewer engagement and market activity. CNN’s and Kalshi’s statements about the partnership did not, in their public releases, provide detailed explanations of safeguards to address these issues.

Questions about investor ties and broader industry connections also arise. Major venture investors in Kalshi include firms that have financial relationships in Israel’s technology and defense sectors, and some individuals affiliated with those firms have publicly advocated for using technology in information operations. These overlapping interests prompt inquiries about whether market offerings and investor positions could create perceived or real conflicts around coverage of related events.

There is concern that integrating market data with news coverage could amplify particular narratives. For example, when Kalshi listed an 8% chance for a candidate to win a mayoral race, commentators wondered whether prominent distribution of that probability in mainstream coverage could affect voter perceptions or campaign momentum. Betting markets may magnify such effects, similar to how polls can influence public narratives.

Kalshi has also sought advisory and promotional relationships with public figures; Donald Trump Jr. was named a strategic advisor earlier this year. That kind of involvement raises additional questions about potential conflicts and the influence of high-profile affiliates on both markets and public perception.

Critics have raised broader concerns that prediction markets for news events can contribute to dehumanizing treatment of suffering, create incentives for manipulation or insider trading, and prioritize monetizable content over public interest journalism. Proponents argue such markets provide liquidity and aggregate information, but opponents caution that sensitive topics are particularly vulnerable to ethical problems and manipulation.

How much market activity might shape coverage-and whether such feedback loops could become self-fulfilling-remains an open question. Integrating speculative market signals into reporting could influence what audiences see as likely or important, and that influence could in turn affect market prices.

Advocates for markets often justify them on grounds such as improved information aggregation and market efficiency. Critics counter that news-focused markets are especially susceptible to manipulation and insider advantages, and that they can turn conflict, humanitarian crises and public policy into tradable commodities rather than subjects treated primarily on ethical and civic terms. Kalshi’s co-founder Tarek Mansour has described a broader vision of making many differences of opinion tradable assets, a stance that highlights the tension between financializing public affairs and preserving journalism’s civic role.

Bringing a commercial gambling element into news programming signals a shift in how information is presented and monetized. Observers worry this could further emphasize entertainment and engagement metrics over investigative reporting, moral assessment or calls to action-unless coverage aligns with prevailing geopolitical priorities. The introduction of prediction market data into broadcast news therefore raises questions about editorial independence, public interest obligations and the appropriate role of media in covering suffering, conflict and political life.

About 20,000 people attended Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco last month. Alongside conference attendees, current and former Microsoft employees and supporters of the No Azure for Apartheid movement held protests to challenge Microsoft’s contracts with the Israeli government and what protesters describe as the company’s role in enabling alleged abuses in the occupied territories. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Patrick Fort, a Microsoft senior engineer who resigned in protest at the conference, and Hossam Nasr, an organizer with No Azure for Apartheid who says he was fired by Microsoft.

Additional links/info:

No Azure for Apartheid Instagram and Linktree

Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, «Microsoft cancels Israeli spy unit access after tech worker revolt»

Credits:

Post-Production: David Hebden

Transcript

The following transcript is preliminary and may contain errors. A verified version will be published when available.

Maximillian Alvarez:

About 20,000 people attended Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco last month. In addition to official programming, current and former Microsoft employees and supporters from the No Azure for Apartheid movement staged protests at the event to press the company on its contracts with Israel. A clip posted to No Azure for Apartheid’s Instagram shows a Microsoft employee confronting Judson Altoff, a senior company executive, during the keynote.

Patrick Fort:

I am Patrick Fort. Until today I worked at Microsoft as a senior software engineer for seven years. I interrupted the Ignite keynote to call attention to Microsoft’s role, as I see it, in supporting actions in Gaza. I resigned on the spot because I did not want to remain part of work that I believe contributes to harm. My action was intended to show other employees that choosing personal and moral responsibility over staying silent is possible. I want Microsoft to stop supporting operations that harm civilians, and I support calls for Palestinian rights and an end to the violence affecting civilians.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I spoke with two members of the No Azure for Apartheid coalition outside the conference. I asked them to explain the protests and to describe their demands after their campaign helped prompt Microsoft to block some access by an Israeli military unit to certain cloud and AI services in late September.

Patrick Fort:

To summarize: I disrupted the keynote to make visible that some Microsoft workers refuse to be complicit in policies and contracts they see as facilitating harm. After seven years at the company, I chose to resign publicly to encourage others to speak up. For me, the issue is connected to broader patterns of violence and the responsibility of companies and workers; I want Microsoft to change its practices and for a peaceful resolution that respects rights and safety for all.

Hossam Nasr:

My name is Hossam Nasr. I organize with No Azure for Apartheid, a worker-led group of current and former Microsoft employees demanding that Microsoft end its involvement with what we characterize as Israel’s systems of military control and oppression in Palestine. We are protesting at Microsoft Ignite to signal that our campaign continues until our demands are met. Microsoft did announce limits on some cloud and AI services for a specific Israeli military unit (Unit 8200), but we consider that partial step insufficient. We are calling for a complete end to contracts that enable the Israeli military’s operations and are urging Microsoft employees and others to join our efforts. We intend to continue escalating actions – in offices, at events, and in public – until the company meets our demands and until we see meaningful changes.

This week CNN announced a formal partnership with prediction market platform Kalshi to incorporate Kalshi’s real-time market data into CNN’s television, digital and social coverage. According to Axios, that data will be shown on air in a live ticker and used by journalists across CNN’s platforms when discussing predictions, including content related to politics, news, culture and weather. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is slated to use Kalshi’s insights in reporting for linear TV and the network’s streaming subscription service.

The day after CNN’s announcement, business news channel CNBC announced an exclusive partnership with Kalshi that will begin in 2026 and incorporate Kalshi predictions market data into its programs. The types of events these markets cover range from routine topics-election outcomes, local weather, federal jobs reports, and corporate earnings commentary-to more consequential matters such as humanitarian crises. That mix of entertainment-style odds and serious events has prompted concerns about how such information will be presented and used by viewers.

Some prediction markets have included questions tied to humanitarian conditions. One Kalshi market this past summer asked, «Will the IPC classify Gaza as experiencing famine this year?» that wager was settled affirmatively after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza on Aug. 22, according to the IPC. Other platforms, such as Polymarket, have listed markets on related and highly sensitive topics, including wagers framed as «Gaza mass population relocation in 2025?» and markets asking whether Israel will strike Gaza, strike the West Bank, or annex West Bank territory.

News organizations cannot predict or control world events, but the way they report on those events can shape public perception and influence behavior, including financial markets and speculative activity.

That potential influence raises clear ethical questions. If a news outlet displays real-time betting odds for topics it covers, how will it prevent conflicts of interest or avoid incentivizing coverage geared toward driving wagers? Will staff and contributors be prohibited from participating in these markets, and will there be a formal separation between editorial functions and any commercial arrangements with market operators?

Neither CNN’s nor Kalshi’s public statements accompanying the partnership addressed those governance and ethics questions in detail. Observers have also noted that some major investors in prediction market platforms have other stakes tied to the regions and industries being wagered on: Kalshi’s significant backers include Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, which have investments in Israeli tech and defense sectors, Politico reported. Individual figures associated with those investors have made public statements in support of Israeli information and defense initiatives, according to CAIR, and at least one partner spoke about the role of AI in information warfare at a recent defense technology event in Tel Aviv, reported.

Analysts have raised questions about how prediction markets integrated into news coverage could be used in information operations or market influence. For example, Kalshi’s odds in early 2025 assigned a relatively low probability to a particular candidate’s victory in a mayoral race; if a major news outlet had prominently emphasized that market figure, it could have affected public perceptions of electability and campaign momentum, as similar dynamics have been observed with polling coverage. The introduction of market odds as a form of political signal may amplify those effects.

Commercial and political connections to prediction markets also complicate the picture. High-profile advisors and investors can draw attention to platforms: Kalshi named Donald Trump Jr. a «strategic advisor» earlier this year, the company announced. Such relationships add another layer of questions about insider access, credibility, and commercialization of predictive information.

Critics argue that turning social and political questions into tradable propositions risks commodifying conflict and suffering, enabling speculative behavior that benefits platform operators and financial backers more than affected populations. Kalshi’s co-founder Tarek Mansour has described a vision of turning differences of opinion into tradable assets, he told a panel at a markets conference. Similar processes have already commercialized other areas of life-sports and betting, aspects of education marketization, and even discussions of intimacy in some tech discourse have been identified as areas subject to financialization.

Observers ask whether the integration of betting markets into news presentation will itself become a driver of outcomes-where market movements influence coverage, which in turn influences markets-creating feedback loops that favor speculation over substantive reporting.

Supporters of prediction markets argue they provide liquidity and information aggregation. Critics counter that the markets are vulnerable to manipulation and insider influence, and that turning humanitarian crises and geopolitical events into betting questions risks trivializing serious issues and incentivizing rent-seeking behavior rather than public interest reporting. Reporting has also noted examples where mapping or content changes appeared linked to war-betting platforms, raising concerns about the gamification of conflict and the integrity of information, 404 Media reported.

Ultimately, the partnerships between major news outlets and prediction market companies have prompted debate about the role of journalism, the potential for conflicts of interest, and the effects on public discourse. Some worry the emphasis on real-time odds and engagement metrics may push coverage toward topics that generate speculation, while others see new data sources as potentially useful tools if accompanied by robust ethical safeguards. The balance between commercial innovation and journalistic responsibility remains an open question, particularly when coverage intersects with international crises and political conflicts that may align with broader geopolitical interests, as discussed by commentators.